Hi there and welcome to the BrisStyle Inc. community blog. BrisStyle Inc. is a community group of artists and crafters who live in and around Brisbane. We work to provide support and creative opportunities for our members through workshops, business and creative development sessions, markets (come and meet the makers), exhibitions and social get-togethers. Head over to our website www.brisstyle.com.au for more information.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Meet the Makers...Yula You from Lane 2 Designs

Hello friends! This morning we're having a chat one of our newest members, Yula You from Lane 2 Designs...

How would you describe your work? Contemporary and innovative.

Who or what inspires you?I was trained as a landscape architect, and there is an analysis mapping method called ‘figure ground’ which is a tool to study the physical form of towns and cities. It simplifies the streets and buildings into black and white graphics. That gave me the inspiration to bring these patterns into jewelry design, and that’s how everything begins.

Can you describe your studio / work area? (you can provide a pic for inclusion on blog if you wish.)

I quit my day job at the end of last year, and have started working at home as a freelance landscape architect and jewelry designer. I live in an old Queenslander with my boyfriend and a cat, and three bush turkeys give us a regular visit.

What is your favorite thing to make?

My favorite thing to make is jewelry. As there are so many ideas and materials you can explore on these small objects. I am practicing on handmade jewelry now, and hope it would be my next project.

How did you decide on your business name (if applicable)?

#8 Hongshan Lane 2 was the place I spent childhood at in China, which is also the place where my dad grew up. With urban development, the laneway was demolished when I was 11 and is now occupied by high-raised apartments. I can still remember those lovely times spent with my friends and cousins in lane 2, playing silly games, watching cartoons, and having cold noodles and bamboo beds on summer nights. I can still remember how I simply enjoyed making stuff and drawing pictures when I was a kid. Hope I can keep this simple passion and joy in my heart, and let it lead my way.

Where do you hope to see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?
I hope I could bring my own culture into design in the near future, eg. Chinese shadow play.

Chinese shadow play is almost extinct in China, as it needs lots of skills with years of practice, but low income. Today young people in China prefer watching TV and movies, rather than shadow play shows. Most of the people who know how to make and play shadow puppets are at their advanced age.

After I quit my job in Australia, I went back to China and found a home studio in a small village in Qianan, and stayed there for a week to learn making shadow play puppets. It was a memorable time of my life. I wish I could bring this tradition into contemporary design, and make it more connected to today’s life, and let more people in the world know about this great culture.

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought? There are a lot, but the most favorite one would be a shadow play puppet.